


The Old Fang

by tiny_writes_stuff



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: Character Death, Dialogue Heavy, Family, We all know how this ends, but still i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27109207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiny_writes_stuff/pseuds/tiny_writes_stuff
Summary: A transition piece on the Black Fang's development with a primary focus on the Reed Brothers.Brendan looked at his sons: one pouting and one earnest. Then he smiled. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” He pulled them into a tight hug. “You two just grew up so fast,” he murmured. “I’m proud of you both.”
Kudos: 6





	The Old Fang

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic for the Scores of Heroes FE OST Zine! This piece was inspired by the 'Black Fang' OST (pretty obvious huh) but now includes 2 scenes that had to be cut to fit the zine, so I hope you enjoy reading!

“You’re not the type to nurse a drink.” The pub was loud and lively; the sound of raucous laughter making for a jubilant drunken atmosphere. Except… “What’s the matter? Worried about your boys?”

“Of course not,” his boss answered gruffly and took a stubborn swig of his beer.

The other man chuckled heartily. “Don’t drink too fast, you’ll choke.” Upon receiving a glare from his commander he eased up on the teasing. “Alright alright but, Brendan… it’s only natural for a father to be worried about his sons, especially when it’s their first mission without you.”

“You’re not much older than them Legault; quit talking like it.” Brendan gripped his mug. “They can handle themselves.”

Legault took a long sip, eyeing the tenseness in his knuckles. “I agree. They should be back-”

“Oi, Brendan!” a call rang from the entrance. “The boys are back!”

“Right about now,” Legault finished, smirking. Brendan jumped up so quickly his knee banged the table, causing the beverages to slosh.

“Boys!” he exclaimed, rushing over. Remembering his place, he composed himself. “Lloyd, Linus, was the mission a success?”

The young brothers exchanged a grin.

“Well,” Lloyd began.

“Hell yeah!” Linus cut in. “Sir pig head is no more!”

“The servants he abused found refuge with a traveling merchant caravan.” Lloyd smiled. “With enough food and money to last them a few months, of course.”

“Courtesy of our gracious nobles; may they rest in peace!”

The pub erupted in cheer, nearby Fang members clapping the young boys on the back. Before they got swept up in the excitement, Brendan pulled them aside.

“Everything really went okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Daaaad,” Linus complained. “C’mon stop! We’re not kids anymore.”

“Everything went fine,” Lloyd reassured. “Don’t worry so much, Dad.”

Brendan looked at his sons: one pouting and one earnest. Then he smiled. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” He pulled them into a tight hug. “You two just grew up so fast,” he murmured. “I’m proud of you both.”

“Mm-hm.” Linus squeezed out. “So can we go drink now?”

“Bahaha!” Brendan let out boisterous laughter. “You’re not that grown yet!”

Father and sons made their way back to the hubbub and joined the celebration. Tonight they felt on top of the world.

~ ~ ~

The next few years passed quickly: the Black Fang grew exponentially and the Reed brothers became two of the most prominent members. They completed missions efficiently and provided for the poor. But as time went on the atmosphere grew cold and distant, their father showing up less and less. It was beginning to put the brothers on edge... 

“Hey bro, wanna go grab some grub?” Linus approached his brother, who was casually sharpening his sword.

“Not hungry,” he replied curtly.

“Lloyd,” Linus grimaced. “You really gonna make me eat alone again? Y’know Dad’s almost never around anymore.”

He set aside his tools and sighed. “Whatever Dad does is his business. Who are we to question it?”

“Don’t give me that crap! I know you feel the same way I do. He’s hardly around and when he is he acts weird; I wanna know what’s going on with him.”

Lloyd opened his mouth then closed it. Linus was right - it did bother him. “Linus…”

“We’re his sons! We deserve to know!”

“Whoa, who lit the fire in the tool shed?” Legault announced himself, with Uhai following close behind.

Linus huffed and Lloyd looked away.

“You boys have grown older,” Uhai remarked. “So stop behaving like children.”

“We’re not!” Linus shot back then realized his mistake. He grew red and began grumbling.

“We’re just...worried,” Lloyd spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

Legault cleared his throat. “We get how you’re feeling, but try to go easy on your pops. He’s done a lot for you two and for the Black Fang. He has his own life to live too, y'know.”

“What do you mean?” Linus gasped. “He’s not disbanding the Fang, is he?”

Legault laughed and Uhai smiled. “No, nothing like that.” Uhai assured. “But,” he exchanged a somewhat cryptic glance with Legault. “He does have someone he wants you two to meet.”

“He’s introducing them to the rest of the crew by the tavern.” The slightest look of discomfort shadowed Legault’s expression. “Just...give him the benefit of the doubt, okay?”

The brothers were a bit bemused by the news they were given. Setting out to meet their father, they prepared for whatever it was he had to tell them.

~ ~ ~

“Dad?” They approached him hesitantly, eyeing the strange woman and child behind him. 

“Boys!” Brendan grinned from ear to ear. “Glad you could make it. There’s two important people I want you to meet.”

The woman in black coiled around their father and bared a sinister smile. The little girl hid behind her, gazing at them curiously. 

“This is Sonia and her daughter Nino. They’re new members of the Fang family!” Lloyd and Linus waited expectantly, growing uneasy. “That’s right, your old man got hitched!”

His sons stared at him, dumbfounded. They didn’t know what to say. “Dad,” Linus started but Lloyd quickly interjected. 

“Congratulations Dad, we’re happy for you.” Linus shot him a look but he continued. “I’m Lloyd and this is my brother Linus; we look forward to getting to know you both.”

Sonia said nothing, her unnatural yellow eyes boring into him. Nino giggled shyly. 

“Thank you Lloyd. Your words mean a lot to me.” Brendan looked pointedly to his youngest, who muttered a forced “Same, whatever,” making him laugh. “I appreciate the effort Linus. You two should come celebrate with us tonight!”

“Soon. We have some things we need to take care of first.” Lloyd answered respectfully.

They watched their father jumble off with his new wife and step-daughter in tow.

“I don’t like this,” Linus muttered.

“Neither do I,” Lloyd agreed. “But bite your tongue for now.” His expression turned distant. “We should trust our father and do as Legault said; let’s give him the benefit of the doubt…”

~ ~ ~

The sun was bright through the windows, waking Nino from her slumber. Yawning and wiping the sleep from her eyes, she noticed her mother was not in the room with her. This gave her a chance to explore freely and befriend the people in her new family!

Not long ago her mother Sonia got married to a man with an almost endless amount of family members! The Black Fang lived a strict lifestyle so unfortunately members were constantly coming and going. It was a bit intimidating at first, but Nino learned to adapt. 

She already found a friend here whom she called Uncle Jan; usually he kept her company when her mom was away. Hoping he would introduce her to more nice people, she slipped out of the room to find him.

But she almost crawled back in when she saw who shared the hallway.

“Oh, good morning Miss Ursula,” Nino said, a tad timidly. Ursula wasn’t exactly one of the ‘nice’ people she met here.

“Good _afternoon,_ Nino.” The purple-haired valkyrie sighed in displeasure. “Get enough sleep?” 

Nino’s face flushed in embarrassment. “Ye-yes Ma’am… I didn’t realize-”

“Why would you?” Ursula interrupted haughtily. “When you practically live here like a freeloader; no responsibilities or missions to carry out.”

She looked down in shame. “I’m sorry Miss Ursula, I’ll try harder.”

“Hmph.” Ursula briskly walked past her. “Just try not to tarnish the Fang’s name while doing so.” And then she was gone.

“Haaaagh.” Suddenly exploring and making new friends seemed trivial at best. Maybe she would be more useful to the Fang if she went back to her room and practiced magic. 

Dejected, Nino turned around and dragged her feet inside.

“Hey.”

Startled, she peered back into the hallway.

“Ah! Uncle Legault! When did you get here?”

Legault - someone you could call a veteran member - was leaning against her door frame.

His eyes twinkled. “What assassin worth his weight in gold would spill that secret?”

Nino giggled. “Forget I asked then. But what are you doing here?”

“To tell you not to listen to a damned word that woman says.”

“Oh, but Uncle -”

“Nino, seeing someone like you among our ranks, well, you’re like the hope of the Fang.” His countenance shifted to a weariness that worried Nino. “Please don’t change.”

“Uhm, alright… Uncle Legault, did something happen? Are you okay?”

“Heh!” Just like that his easygoing attitude was back. “Oh little Nino,” he patted her head and continued on his way. “Don’t worry about me. Just stay true to yourself; do that for me, would you?”

“Ah, um,” she stammered, uneasily watching him leave without her response. “Uncle Legault, wait!”

She chased him outside their hideout, but he was already gone. “How do assassins do that,” she muttered. Heaving a big sigh she plopped on the ground below. Absentmindedly picking at the grass, she stewed over her last few conversations. 

Ursula put pressure on her to be a more productive member of the Fang, but it sounds like Legault doesn’t want that? How could that be? Or maybe he was just being nice? Nino was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the shadows fall over her.

“Standing guard, are we?”

Nino looked up to see the Reed brothers standing above her. She sprung to her feet and scrambled to make herself look somewhat presentable. “Ah, welcome back Lloyd! Linus!” She then formally saluted. “I mean, sir yes sir!”

Linus ruffled her hair. “C’mon kid, you know you don’t have to talk that way to us.”

“We’re your stepbrothers first, regardless of rank.” Lloyd smiled. “So tell me, what are you doing out here alone?”

Nino deflated slightly. “Nothing…” She knew how the Fang favored the strong over the weak, so she kept quiet about her insecurities for now. 

“Hmm, okay,” Lloyd said thoughtfully. “If you change your mind, you know you can come to us for anything.”

“But no promises we’ll be able to help!” Linus teased.

Nino beamed. “Thanks Lloyd, Linus...big brothers!”

The three of them shared a warm smile. 

“Alright, I’m beat.” Linus carelessly tossed his axe aside. “Let’s head in and have a family meal, eh?”

Lloyd began to berate his younger brother for taking such bad care of his weapons, but Nino ignored their bickering. Perking up, she asked “Oh, is Mother and Father back too?”

“Er, no…” Lloyd answered, looking away. “It’ll just be us siblings today. Unless we can find your Uncle Jan, that is.”

“Ahhh!” Nino’s eyes lit up. How did the day get away from her? “That’s who I was looking for in the first place!”

“Then let’s go! I’m starving.” Linus took the lead, followed by his older brother. Nino happily skipped behind them but stopped short.

A man clad in black was leaning against the wall. She’d seen him before; he was rising up to be one of the top ranked assassins in the Black Fang. But she didn’t know the first thing about him.

“Um, hi there!” Nino squeaked out. His eyes flicked to her for a moment but said nothing.

“Jaffar doesn’t speak much.” Lloyd pulled her back while Linus glared at him. “C’mon.”

Nino let her brothers sweep her away, but she couldn’t help looking back at Jaffar. He seemed lonely. She wanted to ask him to join them for lunch.

But her stepbrothers tugged her inside and he disappeared from view. 

~ ~ ~

Outside the sealed shrine of Bern a battle waged with bloodthirsty vengeance; bodies crumpled left and right. One by one Lloyd’s comrades - fellow Black Fang members - were slain. And yet he didn’t know their names, could hardly recognize their faces. 

He felt nothing watching them die.

The Black Fang was always an organization of covert assassins; they prided themselves as such. However, the familial atmosphere that was present in his youth dissolved into the cold unfeeling portrayal that most townspeople believe. 

It disturbed him slightly, how much he and the rest of the Fang changed in time. Slowly Lloyd felt the pull at his morals and values, he was beginning to question the missions he was assigned to carry out. Three supposedly corrupt lords he was sent to kill; he had hesitated.

And when his back was turned, those lords murdered Linus.

So any previous doubts or righteous ideals were left by the wayside as Lloyd led the charge for revenge.

But the Fang was falling, and it appeared he would soon be joining his brother instead.

“Lloyd! Big brother!”

Lloyd raised his Light Brand, prepared to fight to his last breath, prepared to die.

Then, in utter shock, he noticed it was Nino - his kid stepsister running toward him.

“Lloyd! Please stop this fight! Call off your men; they’re all going to die if you don’t!”

He gazed at her in disbelief. “Nino, you abandoned the Fang to join the likes of them? Those who murdered our brother?” He didn’t expect to ever see her again, let alone supporting the other side. It was bad enough when Legault left them, but Nino too? 

“No! They didn’t do it!,” she pleaded. “Please believe me!”

Just then, like a shadow, a man silently appeared at her side.

“...Jaffar.” Lloyd let out a mirthless laugh. “So you’re here as well.” His eyes flicked between him and Nino. “Alright, it’s better this way. I won’t fight her, but I’ll gladly cross blades with you!”

Powered with light magic, he swung his blade at Jaffar. Dodging it effortlessly, Jaffar countered in quick succession. Nino’s cries fell to the background as the two exchanged blows. 

They continued to parry and evade each other until finally one made a blunder. For just a moment the two men made eye contact amidst their tense match, and that’s when Lloyd realized it. Jaffar was doing this to protect Nino; to save her from having to challenge him herself. 

And thus silver made fatal contact with flesh.

The Angel of Death silenced the White Wolf.

Dropping his weapon and falling to the bloody ground beneath him, he knew all along this was his fate. He didn’t try hard enough to aim a killing blow...he didn’t try hard enough to save himself. 

Lloyd’s world began to blur; the noise of battle became muffled and his vision spotty. His mind drifted to that time; the time he completed his first mission with Linus, aided defenseless townspeople and celebrated with comrades. 

He could picture it so clearly as his eyes fluttered shut. He wanted to go back there, to his brother, to his family, to the Old Fang.


End file.
